MICHIGAN — For the first time in 40 years, Democrats won a trifecta giving them full control of state government and the majorities in both the House and Senate did not hesitate to send a flurry of bills to the desk of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. For the first time in generations, Michigan saw new laws that would help working people, support small businesses and protect human rights. The following is a breakdown of new laws passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor.
Public Act 4: Working Families Tax Credit and Repeal of Snyder-Era Retirement Tax. House Bill 4001 sponsored by State Representative Angela Witwer put more money in the pockets of working families with the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the repeal of the retirement tax.
Public Act 6: Sexual Orientation added to Elliott-Larsen civil rights act. Senate Bill 12 sponsored by Senator Jeremy Moss expanded civil rights protections in Michigan.
Public Acts 8, 9 and 10: Repeal of so-called “Right -to-Work” laws and restoration of prevailing wage. In a victory for working people across the state. The Michigan legislature voted to repeal three controversial laws that took away the right to full collective bargaining and lowered wages for construction workers. The bills were sponsored by Senator Darrin Camilleri, Representative Regina Weiss and Representative Brenda Carter respectively.
A series of bills followed up the historic victory for abortion rights including passage of the Reproductive Health Act which was signed into law by Governor Whitmer in November.
New Holidays: Holidays were added to the official list of state holidays including, Fred Korematsu Day (January 30 each year) sponsored by Senator Stephanie Chang, Women Veterans Recognition Day (June 12 each year) sponsored by Representative Julie Rogers, Juneteenth (June 19 each year) sponsored by Senator Sylvia Santana.
Representative Jaime Churches of Wyandotte was able to secure a long-held need for Downriver communities with the creation of a grade separation fund for railroads with the signing of Public Act 67.
Public Act 104 sponsored by Senator Sean McCann ended a Snyder-era law that prohibited the state from enacting more stringent rules than federal regulations. This law gives the State of Michigan more control over its own rules.
Make it in Michigan Budget
For the first time in 40 years the Michigan budget focused on people instead of wealthy CEOs with passage of the Make it Michigan budget. The budget, when combined with the education budget previously signed by the governor, lowers costs on health care, preschool, meals for kids, higher education, housing, and workforce training. Additionally, the fiscal year 2024 budget will help fix bridges, replace lead pipes, and protect public safety.
“The Make it in Michigan budget will lower costs, deliver on the issues that make a real difference in people’s lives, and help anyone ‘make it’ in Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer. “The budget protects public safety and improves access to health care, ensuring people feel safe in their neighborhood and have access to quality, affordable care that meets their needs. It supports our service members and veterans, connecting them and their families with the resources they deserve, and will build up all kinds of infrastructure so every family has safe roads, clean water, and affordable housing. Finally, it continues powering our economic development efforts to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and bring manufacturing and supply chains home to Michigan. The Make it in Michigan budget builds on our economic momentum, and will help us build a brighter future for everyone who calls this great state home.”
Highlights include:
Fiscally Responsible, Balanced Budget
The budget deposits $200 million into the Budget Stabilization Fund, or ‘rainy day fund,’ bringing the balance to nearly $2 billion by the end of FY24, an all-time high.
Public Health – Strengthening Families
The budget makes critical investments to ensure Michigan families can access the care they need:
- $150.6 million to increase reimbursement rates for Medicaid services to improve enrollee access to necessary health care.
- $49.5 million to implement recommendations from the Racial Disparities Task Force, including neighborhood health grants, mobile health units, sickle cell support and more.
- $56.4 million to fund Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, a bipartisan initiative that supports pregnant women, new mothers, and infants.
- $25 million increase in support to local health departments to provide essential services.
- $10 million to create a new foster care respite care program to provide temporary, occasional relief to foster parents.
- $6.2 million to fund the Medicaid Plan First! program, expanding access to family planning services and cancer screening and saving 25,000 Michiganders an average of $2,000.
- $4.9 million over 2 years for Double-Up Food Bucks, boosting access to fresh fruits and vegetables for Michiganders on food assistance.
Public Safety–Keeping Communities Safe
To keep families and communities safe and ensure police officers and first responders have the funding and resources they need, the budget invests:
- $171.5 million in public safety grants, benefitting communities across the state.
- $34.2 million to enact various recommendations from the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, including creating a Juvenile Justice Services Division within the State Court Administrative Office and expanding the scope of the Office of the Children’s Advocate.
- $18.2 million to provide in-service training to licensed law enforcement officers.
- $14.4 million to improve safety and accountability in correctional facilities, including $7 million to outfit corrections officers with body cameras.
- $10 million toward leveraging the State Police Training Academy to serve as a criminal justice training hub to support realistic, multi-disciplinary training opportunities for law enforcement agencies across the state.
- $10 million for the Selfridge Air National Guard Base to improve and maintain infrastructure to continue to position Michigan to compete for next generation aircraft and future fighter missions.
- $10.5 million in new statutory revenue sharing (2% one-time) dedicated specifically for public safety, including employee recruitment, retention, training, and equipment for first responders.
- $9 million to run a Michigan State Police Trooper Recruit School, graduating an anticipated 50 new recruits.
- $6.8 million to establish the Office of Community Violence Intervention Services to partner with community-based organizations already working to reduce violent incidents.
- $5 million to expand the Jobs Court, a program that aims to reduce recidivism by providing jobs and services to disadvantaged offenders.
- $5 million to expand national guard tuition assistance program, expanding educational opportunities for service members and their families and moving Michigan closer to the Sixty by 30 Goal.
- $2.9 million to implement gun violence prevention policies.
- $2 million for veteran homelessness grants, helping veterans access affordable housing and avoid homelessness.
- $1.2 million for veteran suicide prevention efforts, improving the health and well-being of Michigan’s more than 550,000 military veterans and their families.
Rebuilding Infrastructure
From 2019 through the end of this construction season, nearly 20,000 lane miles of road and 1,400 bridges will be fixed. This budget continues to fix roads, replace lead pipes, build housing, and more:
Roads, Bridges, Transit, Electrification
- $416 million to fix roads and build up public infrastructure, improving quality of life.
- $80 million investment supporting Michigan’s Bridge Bundling program to replace or rehabilitate more than 20structurally deficient bridges across the state.
- $50 million for Intermodal Capital Investment Grants to support investments in rail, marine, intercity, and local transit infrastructure that have the potential to leverage federal funding opportunities.
- $21.3 million for clean energy and electric vehicle infrastructure investments.
- $52.9 million for the Information Technology and Investment Fund for modernization of legacy IT systems supporting local income tax collections for those communities that elect to participate, environmental permitting and inspection, groundwater protection, occupational safety and health, and talent recruitment and retention.
- $1 million to begin the transition of the State of Michigan’s fleet to electric vehicles.
- $5 million for a critical mineral recycling research hub.
Housing
- $212 million for residential energy efficiency improvements through federal funds, lowering costs for Michiganders via point-of-sale rebates for home appliances, water heaters and more.
- $50 million for the Housing and Community Development Program to alleviate affordable housing needs across the state and revitalize downtown areas in Michigan.
- $10 million for Missing Middle housing programs to build on existing $50 million within the current year budget.
- $2 million to expand capacity of the State Land Bank Authority, which facilitates productive reuse of land in our communities.
Water, Parks, Agriculture, Environment
- Nearly $600 million for Michigan’s water infrastructure, protecting access to drinking water, replacing lead service lines, rebuilding sewers, and more.
- $150 million to reopen the Palisades nuclear power plant, securing good-paying jobs.
- $23 million for improvements at Belle Isle State Park.
- $23 million to create an endowment for the new Flint State Park.
- $20 million to establish an environmental justice contaminated site clean-up fund to remediate and redevelop contaminated sites in historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.
- $13 million for agricultural climate resiliency and soil health to research new regenerative agriculture practices and help farmers reduce run off and increase crop diversity.
- $10.1 million for Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, using federal funds to boost resiliency in Michigan’s food systems.
- $7.7 million in state parks operations funding to provide additional park rangers and essential resources to state parks.
- $5.5 million for Michigan Saves to incentivize private investment in clean energy improvements for Michigan residents and businesses.
Economic Development
To create good-paying jobs and bring manufacturing and supply chains home, the budget powers economic development efforts, including:
- $500 million annual deposit in the Make it in Michigan Fund, also known as the bipartisan Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund.
- $350 million for the Make it in Michigan Competitiveness Fund to win federal resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Michigan is set to receive over $1.5 billion (4th highest in the nation) through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to expand high-speed internet access to over 200,000 Michiganders in unserved and underserved areas across the state.
- $50 million for Revitalization and Placemaking to fund community development projects.
- $15 million for talent action teams to fast-track assistance to businesses looking to expand or locate in Michigan.
- $10 million to promote Michigan as a destination for special events and national conventions, plus an additional $10 million in convention and visitor bureau grants.
- $5 million for the Michigan Defense Center to protect and grow the defense and homeland security industry in Michigan.
The budget was signed into law by Governor Whitmer at the Wyandotte Central Fire Station on July 31st.
Health Insurance Protections
A package of bills giving consumers more health insurance protections was signed into law in October. The package of bills codified much of the Affordable Care Act into state law and included:
Public Act 156, sponsored by Julie Rogers prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on gender, gender identity or sexual orientation or expression.
Public Act 157, sponsored by Representative Kimberly Edwards, prohibits denying coverage for preexisting conditions and denying coverage based on the health of the insured.
Public Act 158, sponsored by Representative John Fitzgerald, requires coverage for dependents under the age of 26.
Public Act 159, sponsored by Representative Reggie Miller, prohibits annual and lifetime dollar limits.
Public Act 160, sponsored by Matt Koleszar, requires minimum coverage by health insurers.
Public Act 161, sponsored by Senator Kevin Hertel, requires summary of benefits and coverage to be provided to the insured.
Public Act 162, sponsored by Senator Mary Cavanagh, prohibits rescission of coverage by insurance companies.
Public Act 163, sponsored by Senator Veronica Klinefelt, requires coverage equivalent to a certain percentage of the full actuarial value of benefits under a health insurance policy.
A related bill sponsored by Representative Samantha Steckloff provides for equal treatment for coverage of orally administered anticancer chemotherapy.
Clean Energy and Climate Action
On November 28, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed historic clean energy legislation making Michigan a national leader in the fight against climate change. The bills will lower household utility costs, create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and protect Michigan’s precious air, water, and public health. The clean energy bills deliver on the proposals in the governor’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, which laid out a roadmap for Michigan’s clean energy future. The governor called for passage of clean energy and climate legislation in her What’s Next Address, a first-of-its-kind speech delivered in August laying out a policy vision for the fall after the Michigan Legislature’s unprecedented productivity through 2023.
“Michigan’s clean energy future is bright,” said Governor Whitmer. “Today’s bills will lower household utility costs by an average of $145 a year, create 160,000 good-paying jobs, and bring nearly $8 billion of federal tax dollars home to Michigan for clean energy projects. I am proud that these bills make Michigan the best state in the Midwest for climate action and the strongest state in the nation when it comes to labor standards for clean energy production. Together, we are fighting for our air, land, and water, improving public health and protecting our precious natural resources for future generations. We are building the future in Michigan.”
Highlights of the bills are below:
100% Clean Energy Standard: Senate Bill 271 sponsored by Senator Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) establishes a 100% clean energy standard for Michigan. By 2040, Michigan will produce all its energy from clean sources. By 2030, Michigan will produce 50% of its energy from renewable sources and 60% from renewables by 2035. The new clean energy standard will protect Michigan’s air, land, and water for future generations. It will drive down costs for consumers while reducing the state’s reliance on foreign fuel and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs along the way.
Improving Energy Efficiency: Senate Bill 273 sponsored by Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) improves energy efficiency and waste reduction programs to drive down costs for families and small businesses. It will help Michiganders upgrade their homes to save money while ensuring access to reliable power.
Fighting for Workers: Senate Bill 519 sponsored by Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), establishes the Office of Worker and Community Economic Transition. The new office will work with workers and communities to make sure they can take full advantage of the good-paying, middle-class jobs we are creating and bringing home to Michigan.
Streamlining Clean Energy Projects: House Bill 5120 sponsored by Representative Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck) and House Bill 5121 sponsored by Representative Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) bolster the MPSC by authorizing them to streamline permitting of utility-scale clean energy the same way they can currently do so for other sources of energy. This will drive billions of dollars of federal and private investment in Michigan, creating good-paying local jobs and helping the state meet its clean energy goals.
Prioritizing Local Communities: Senate Bill 502 sponsored by Senator Sue Shink (D-Northfield Township) authorizes the MPSC to consider climate and equity in their regulatory decisions so we can prioritize the health and well-being of our communities as we expand energy production.
The package of bills won bipartisan support and the support of both the labor and environmental communities. Speaking for labor, “Michigan’s clean energy future will be built by hardworking union men and women,” said Mike Barnwell, President of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights. “Governor Whitmer and leaders in the Michigan legislature are setting an example for the rest of the country on how to face climate change head on while creating tens of thousands of good-paying clean energy jobs that pay fair wages and offer great benefits. Our state put the world on wheels, assembled the arsenal of democracy, and built the American middle class. All that progress has been made possible by unions and now, with the strongest clean energy labor standards in the country, we will build the future of clean energy right here in Michigan. Let’s get it done.”
Many advocates of the environmental movement also supported the package of bills:
“The Clean Energy & Jobs Act puts Michigan on a path for some of the fastest buildout in the nation of renewable energy, like wind and solar – accelerating the cleanup of our air and protecting our Great Lakes and drinking water,” said Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Michigan is now at the center of the nation’s transition to clean energy that will lower energy costs for families and small businesses, create good-paying, union jobs and tackle the climate crisis.”
“Today, Governor Whitmer signed into law a nation-leading climate package, including a 100 percent clean energy standard and critical measures to reform utility regulation and accelerate the growth of high-quality clean energy jobs in the state. With today’s action, Michigan not only cemented its leadership in securing a clean energy future, but also made historic investments in local economic development, lowering household energy costs, and protecting the health of communities across the state,” said Courtney Bourgoin, Midwest Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager at Evergreen Action. “Michiganders want a prosperous economy powered by clean energy, and legislative leaders and the governor delivered. This suite of packages will help secure billions of dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act to directly benefit Michigan’s businesses, families, and environment for generations to come.”
“This legislative package is not just about the environment and climate, there are major economic benefits for Michigan as well,” said Dr. Martin Kushler, Senior Fellow with the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. “Michigan is almost entirely dependent upon imports from other states and countries for all of the fossil fuels we consume. We import 100% of the coal, 92% of the natural gas, and 97% of the oil and petroleum products we use, which drains over $18 billion a year from the state economy. By increasing energy efficiency and Michigan-based renewable energy, this package of bills will reduce that financial drain and help keep those dollars here in Michigan.”
A Year to Remember
In all, the new Democratic majorities passed a total of 286 new laws that protect workers, protect our civil rights, invest in Michigan’s future, protect Michigan’s precious environment and move Michigan beyond 40 years of Republican rule that saw Michigan’s population decline, Michigan manufacturing decimated and the rights of Michiganders limited.
